LG to launch diminutive new smartphone-tablet hybrid

LG Electronics said yesterday that it aims to unveil a new 5-inch smart device that combines the strength of a smartphone and a tablet computer.

The company said it is preparing to showcase the device, which is larger than a smartphone but smaller than a tablet computer, making it comparable in size to the Galaxy Note produced by rival Samsung Electronics. LG declined to comment on the product’s release date.

The electronics giant said it will also launch one tablet computer and three smartphones in the first quarter, and that most of them are likely to be run on the fourth-generation (4G) networks dubbed long-term evolution (LTE).

LG has been betting on the high-speed 4G wireless market in a bid to turnaround its money-losing handset business. LG’s mobile business logged its sixth straight quarterly loss in the third quarter.

Yonhap